From owner-skunk-works-digest@netwrx1.com Sun Dec 23 03:10:40 2007 Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2007 02:09:59 -0600 From: skunk-works-digest Reply-To: skunk-works@netwrx1.com To: skunk-works-digest@netwrx1.com Subject: skunk-works-digest V15 #17 skunk-works-digest Sunday, December 23 2007 Volume 15 : Number 017 Index of this digest by subject: *************************************************** RE: skunk-works-digest V15 #16 *************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2007 00:09:07 -0800 From: Anne Faulkner Subject: RE: skunk-works-digest V15 #16 Merry Christmas Gentle Men :-) (which, given my privilege to meet some of you over time, I know you are in your hearts..) in support of our Troops.. Anne > From: owner-skunk-works-digest@netwrx1.com> To: skunk-works-digest@netwrx1.com> Subject: skunk-works-digest V15 #16> Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2007 02:03:58 -0600> > > skunk-works-digest Sunday, December 23 2007 Volume 15 : Number 016> > > > Index of this digest by subject:> ***************************************************> skunk-works Misty satellites> skunk-works DARPA - Lockheed Martin - Pratt & Whitney - Mach 6 BLACKSWIFT Program> skunk-works A-12 at CIA HQ> skunk-works Fw: TV Analog to Digital Conversion> skunk-works FWD [fort] I touched a UFO: ex-air force pilot> skunk-works Fw: Jonathan's Space Report, No. 589> ***************************************************> > - ----------------------------------------------------------------------> > Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2007 20:37:46 -0700> From: Patrick > Subject: skunk-works Misty satellites> > McConnell Scraps Spy Satellite Program> Associated Press | June 22, 2007> WASHINGTON - Spy chief Mike McConnell has junked a multibillion-dollar > spy satellite program that engineers hoped would someday pass undetected > through the space above other nations.> > The move from the director of national intelligence comes after several > years of congressional efforts to kill the program, known publicly as > the next generation of "Misty" satellites. The new satellite was to be a > stealthy intelligence spacecraft designed to take pictures of > adversaries and avoid detection.> > Little is known about the nation's classified network of satellites, > which represent some of the most expensive government programs and > receive almost no public oversight. Because of their multibillion-dollar > price tags, sensitive missions and lengthy development schedules, spy > agencies go to great pains to keep details from becoming public.> > McConnell gave no reason for his recent decision. Despite the program's > secrecy, he almost dared further inquiry into it.> > Speaking Tuesday to an intelligence conference on workplace diversity, > McConnell changed the subject and ended his speech by saying: "I have > been advised when I was getting ready for this job, you have to do two > things: kill a multibillion-dollar program. Just did that. Word is not > out yet. You'll see soon.> > "And fire somebody important. So I'm searching," he added in jest, > getting a laugh from the crowd.> > Asked during a Q&A session to elaborate on which program he cut, > McConnell declined to comment. His spokesman Steve Shaw also declined to > comment on Thursday, but he noted that the director had the power to > make this type of budget decision.> > Loren Thompson, a defense expert with the Lexington Institute, said he > was told by an industry source this month that the program to build the > Misty satellites was ending. He said the satellite's true name is not > publicly known, but it has been assigned a designation of a letter > followed by numbers.> > The Associated Press separately confirmed the program was cut.> > "People are thinking it is just not worth the huge amount of money it is > sucking in," Thompson said.> > Speaking generally, Thompson said promises of faster, smaller, cheaper > satellites - hopes that became common during the Clinton administration > - - have been confounded by the laws of physics. The technology simply > wasn't able to meet expectations.> > The new generation of Misty satellites was born from the belief that > stealth technology would be crucial to deceiving adversaries, since many > states are aware when U.S. satellites are passing overhead and can > change their behavior accordingly.> > Yet the threat has changed in recent years, as the United States became > more concerned about difficult-to-track terror cells and underground > sites for nuclear programs run by countries such as Iran and North Korea.> > "The entire imagery architecture that is in space or under development > was conceived prior to 9/11. Changes in the threat have led to a > re-evaluation of the threat," Thompson said.> > The first satellite launched in the Misty family was disclosed by > military and space expert Jeffrey Richelson in his 2001 book, "The > Wizards of Langley: Inside the CIA's Directorate of Science and > Technology." That first Misty satellite was launched from the space > shuttle Atlantis in March 1990, he wrote.> > In an interview, Richelson said a second satellite was launched in 1999. > But as insiders debated whether to continue to build the third, some > officials didn't think it was worth the money because other satellites > could fulfill the role at less cost, said Richelson, a senior fellow > with the National Security Archive.> > In 2004, an unidentified government agency asked the Justice Department > to open a leaks investigation after The Washington Post reported that > the program's projected cost had almost doubled from $5 billion to > nearly $9.5 billion.> > Rick Oborn, a spokesman for the tightlipped National Reconnaissance > Office, declined to comment on McConnell's decision. His Northern > Virginia-based agency is responsible for designing, building and > operating a constellation of U.S. spy satellites.> > Those spacecraft are built by American companies contracted by agencies > including CIA and NRO and by the Air Force. A spokesman for Lockheed > Martin, which is believed to be the lead contractor on this program, > declined to comment on McConnell's decision.> > The pricey program has been a source of controversy in Congress.> > In the House's intelligence budget bill approved last month, lawmakers > agreed to end a satellite program that they had supported before, > according to New Mexico Rep. Heather Wilson, the top Republican on the > House Intelligence Committee's panel on technical intelligence. "We had > to make some decisions without a lot of good alternatives," she said in > an interview.> > The details are in the classified portion of the bill, and Wilson would > not confirm that it was a next-generation Misty satellite. But Wilson, a > former Air Force officer, said McConnell's decision was part of ongoing > discussions among his advisers, the House committee and the Defense > Department. "There was a great deal of communication," she said.> > Wilson said the government does not have to walk away from the entire > amount sunk into the program. Rather, she said, some of the technology > can be harvested and used in other programs. She declined to offer any > details.> > Wilson praised McConnell's early moves but said the key factors in his > decision to end the program predated his arrival as intelligence chief > in February. "I think it is the conclusion that most of the folks > involved had come to - based on cost, schedule and performance. It was a > conclusion that everyone was coming to at about the same time," she said.> > House Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, could > not be reached for comment.> > The panel's top Republican, Rep. Peter Hoekstra of Michigan, said he is > not looking for a decision on a single program from McConnell and his > advisers. He wants to see leadership.> > "I am looking for them to give us a strategy," he said. "This program > was there for a reason. What are you going to replace it with? How long > is it going to take to develop it? What is the cost for this new program?"> > Hoekstra would not identify the program McConnell said was being cut and > said he remains doubtful it is truly gone. He said its congressional > allies could find a way to bring it back to life through a bill. He also > noted that the White House has not sent a revised version of its budget > to Congress reflecting McConnell's change.> > Hoekstra also criticized how McConnell made his decision public. "I > don't think the way you go about announcing major policy decision is to > make a flippant comment to a group that you are speaking to about > diversity," he said.> > - ------------------------------> > Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2007 11:53:41 -0700> From: "Smith, Larry O" > Subject: skunk-works DARPA - Lockheed Martin - Pratt & Whitney - Mach 6 BLACKSWIFT Program> > Hi,> > Interesting story on how the FALCON HTV-3X hypersonic concept> demonstrator is now becoming BLACKSWIFT. Photo included at> link below. Skunk Works emblem (stinky) quite visible on right> wing.> > http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/08/blackswift-retu.html> > It's advertised as a combined cycle ramjet with an integrated> lower speed turbo-cycle. It's not advertised as a scramjet.> > There have been a lot of scramjet successes lately, so a ramjet> is slightly going backward. But! There are a lot of details we> don't know of coarse. And of coarse scramjets can operate like> ramjets too!> > This engine inlet does seem to use the inward turning technology> recently tested in Australia on a Mach 10 rocket boosted scramjet> in the HyCAUSE program.> > Regards,> > Larry> > - ------------------------------> > Date: Sun, 23 Sep 2007 22:01:40 -0500> From: gregd@habu2.net> Subject: skunk-works A-12 at CIA HQ> > Some nice archival footage in this video article:> > http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2007/09/22/pkg.cia.spy.plane.cnn> > - ------------------------------> > Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2007 14:49:02 +0700 (GMT+07:00)> From: Terry Colvin > Subject: skunk-works Fw: TV Analog to Digital Conversion> > - -----Forwarded Message-----> >From: Terry Colvin > >Sent: Nov 15, 2007 2:43 PM> >> >TV ANALOG TO DIGITAL CONVERSION: The US Department of Commerce has> announced that> >on 17 FEB 09 all television broadcast in the United States will convert from> analog> >to digital (i.e. DTV) format. Although the conversion will not take effect> until> >2009, the conversion boxes should be available JAN 08. Following are some> consumer> >questions with answers regarding the conversion and the Converter Coupon> Program:> >> >1. How do I know whether I need a converter? If you use B^Srabbit earsB^T or a> rooftop> >antenna for TV reception, you probably need a converter. Television sets> connected> >to cable, satellite or other pay TV service do not require converters.> Televisions> >with digital tuners also do not need converters. Take a short quiz at the DTV> Transition> >Web site www.dtvtransition.org to see whether the converter box is the right> option> >for your household to make the digital transition.> >> >2. Can I request my coupons for the converter program today? No. The> converter coupon> >program will be up and running on 1 JAN 08. At that time, the government will> begin> >taking requests for coupons.> >> >3. Can I pre-order my coupons before 1 JAN 08, by providing my address to the> government?> >No. By law, requests for coupons cannot be taken before 1 JAN 08.> >> >4. How can I request my coupons? Requests will be taken beginning 1 JAN 08,> and> >going through 31 MAR 09. Check back to this website during that period of> time to> >find out convenient ways to request your coupons, including calling a> toll-free> >number.> >> >5. How do I know whether I'm eligible for a coupon? All households in the> United> >States and its territories are eligible for coupons on a> first-come-first-served> >basis.> >> >6. How many coupons can I request? Each household can request a maximum of 2> coupons.> >> >7. What is the value of a coupon? Each coupon is worth $40. Only one coupon> can> >be used per converter.> >> >8. What information do I need to provide the government to request my> coupons? The> >government only requires information necessary to mail coupons: name,> household> >address and number of coupons needed (maximum of 2). Applications will be> made available> >beginning in 2008.> >> >9. Will my coupons expire? Yes. Coupons will expire 90 days after they are> issued.> >> >10. Will I still need an antenna to receive my programming? Yes. If you> currently> >use an antenna to receive your over-the-air programming, you will still need> it> >after you install a converter.> >> >11. Where can I buy a converter? Coupon-eligible converters are currently not> in> >stores. Beginning in early 2008, they will appear in stores where you would> also> >buy televisions and other consumer electronics products.> >> >12. Can I buy a converter online? It is expected that online retailers will> participate> >in the Coupon Program. Again, check back to this website in early 2008 to see> a> >list of participating retailers.> >> >13. Can I use my coupon(s) to purchase any converter? No. The government will> provide> >a list of eligible converters and participating retailers on its website.> Consumers> >can also ask participating retailers what converters in their stores can be> purchased> >with a government coupon.> >> >14. Can I use my coupon to purchase other consumer electronics products, such> as> >DVD recorders or televisions? No. Coupons will be electronically coded to be> redeemable> >only for purchase of eligible converters.> >> >15. Can I use my coupon to get $40 off a converter I've already purchased?> No.> >Coupons must be presented at the point of sale and must be redeemed at the> time> >converters are purchased.> >> >16. Will I need to buy a new television after 17 FEB 09? No. Your existing> television> >sets will continue to work after the digital transition if they are connected> to> >converters. You do not need to discard your analog sets.> >> >17. Will I receive Closed Captioning through a converter? Yes. Manufacturers> of> >converters are required to pass through Closed Captioning to display on your> television.> >> >18. Will I receive High-Definition TV with the aid of a converter? No. Analog> televisions> >are not capable of displaying high-definition resolution, but the picture> will generally> >be better with a converter. If you want to view high-definition TV, then you> will> >need one of the newer sets rated for "high-definition" resolution.> >> >19. How do I know whether my facility is eligible for coupons? For example,> are> >prisons or group homes eligible to receive coupons? Applicants must meet the> Census> >definition of a household as consisting of "all persons who currently occupy> >a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room that is> occupied> >as separate living quarters and has a separate U.S. postal address."> >> >20. Why is the transition from analog to digital television happening?> Because digital> >broadcasting is more efficient than the current "analog" technology, less> >of the airwaves are needed to provide programming to consumers. The unused> spectrum> >which broadcasters no longer require will be used for two important purposes.> First,> >it will be given to first responders - our nation's firefighters and police> >- to better communicate with each other during emergencies. Second, this> spectrum> >will be auctioned off to provide innovative wireless broadband services to> consumers.> >> >For additional information about the digital television transition, refer to> the> >following Web sites to become familiar with your options for making a smooth> digital> >transition:> >B^U www.dtvtransition.org - a one-stop clearinghouse of consumer information> and tools> >to manage the digital transition, hosted by the DTV Transition Coalition.> >B^U www.dtv.gov - this is a government site offering comprehensive resources,> including> >a consumer guide on what to look out for as the digital transition> approaches.> >B^U www.myceknowhow.com - the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) offers> this> >information to help consumers understand various available equipment> options.> >B^U www.ceretailers.org - representing consumer electronics retailers, CERC> (Consumer> >Electronics Retailers Coalition) offers a Q & A about the transition as well> >as a consumer advisory alerting consumers to the cutoff date.> >[Source: Various Nov 07 ++]> >> >> >> >Terry W. Colvin> >Ladphrao (Bangkok), Thailand> >Pran Buri (Hua Hin), Thailand> > > Terry W. Colvin> Ladphrao (Bangkok), Thailand> Pran Buri (Hua Hin), Thailand> > ------------------------------> > Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2007 15:02:10 +0700 (GMT+07:00)> From: Terry Colvin > Subject: skunk-works FWD [fort] I touched a UFO: ex-air force pilot> > - -----Forwarded Message-----> The following URL: > > http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/13/1194766648633.html> ?page=fullpage#contentSwap1> > has a length of 87 characters and resulted in the following TinyURL which has a length of 25 characters: > < http://tinyurl.com/35hord >> > TWC> > >http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/13/1194766648633.html?page=fullpage#c ontentSwap1> >> >I touched a UFO: ex-air force pilot> >> >Flashback to 1981 ... seen over Vancouver Island in British Columbia and made public by the British Ministry of Defence in 2006.> >> >> >> >November 13, 2007 - 2:16PM> >> >A group of former pilots who have recounted seeing strange phenomena in the sky has demanded the US government reopen an investigation into UFOs.> >> >Several pilots offered dramatic accounts of witnessing UFOs - including a transparent flying disc and a triangular craft with mysterious markings - as they insisted their questions needed to be taken seriously more than 30 years after the US file was closed.> >> >"We want the US government to stop perpetuating the myth that all UFOs can be explained away in down-to-earth, conventional terms," said Fife Symington, former governor of Arizona and air force pilot who says he saw a UFO in 1997.> >> >"Instead our country needs to reopen its official investigation that it shut down in 1969," Symington said.> >> >"We believe that for reasons of both national security and flight safety, every country should make an effort to identify any object in its airspace," said a statement from the 19 former pilots and government officials from around the world.> >> >The subject of UFOs came up in a recent debate among US presidential candidates, with Democrat Dennis Kucinich saying he once saw a UFO - making him the object of ridicule and jokes by late night television comedians.> >> >Sceptics say UFO sightings are merely aircraft, satellites or meteors re-entering the Earth's atmosphere.> >> >But the retired pilots spoke to a sympathetic audience of UFO "believers" who heard them recall their encounters with seemingly other-worldly objects appearing out of the sky.> >> >"Nothing in my training prepared me for what we were witnessing," said James Penniston, a retired US Air Force pilot, as he described seeing and touching a UFO when he was stationed at a British air base in Woodbridge.> >> >He said he saw an inexplicable triangular craft in a clearing in the woods with "blue and yellow lights swirling around the exterior".> >> >The UFO was "warm to the touch and felt like metal," Penniston said. One side of the craft had pictorial symbols and "the largest symbol was a triangle, which was centred in the middle of the others," he said.> >> >Then after 45 minutes the light from the object "began to intensify" and it then "shot off at an unbelievable speed" before 80 Air Force personnel, he said. "In my logbook, I wrote 'speed: impossible'."> >> >Rodrigo Bravo from Chile's air force said UFOs needed to be studied but lamented that the media often belittle the sightings.> >> >"Sadly the UFO subject has been contaminated with false information, out of touch with reality, provided by unqualified people to the media," Bravo said.> >> >"One of our most important civil aviation cases occurred in 1988, showing that unidentified flying objects can be a danger for air operations," he said.> >> >"A Boeing 737 pilot on a final approach to the runway at the Puerto Montt airport suddenly encountered a large white light surrounded by green and red."> >> >The pilot took a sharp turn to avoid a collision, according to Bravo.> >> >The panel included a former Iranian fighter pilot, Parviz Jafari, who said in 1976 he tried in vain to fire from his jet at an "object which was flashing with intense red, green, orange and blue light" over Tehran.> >> >But when he approached, "my weapons jammed and my radio communications garbled".> >> >A former Air France captain, Jean-Charles Duboc, said in 1994 he and his crew saw "a huge flying disc" near Paris with a diameter of about 300 metres that left no sign on radar.> >> >The disc "became transparent and disappeared in about 10 to 20 seconds," Duboc said.> >> >The former pilot said like other major airlines Air France was mindful of its image and it was difficult to raise the subject of UFOs.> >> >A former official with the Federal Aviation Administration, John Callahan, said government agencies discourage inquiries into UFOs.> >> >"'Who believes in UFOs?' is the kind of attitude of the FAA all the time," he said.> >> >"However, when I asked the CIA person: 'What do you think it was,' he responded 'a UFO'."> >> >When Callahan suggested the government tell Americans about a UFO, the CIA official allegedly told him: "'No way, if we were to tell the American public there are UFOs they would panic."'> >> >> >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]> >> >> >> > > >Yahoo! Groups Links> >> ><*> To visit your group on the web, go to:> > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fort/> >> ><*> Your email settings:> > Individual Email | Traditional> >> ><*> To change settings online go to:> > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fort/join> > (Yahoo! ID required)> >> ><*> To change settings via email:> > mailto:fort-digest@yahoogroups.com > > mailto:fort-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com> >> ><*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:> > fort-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com> >> ><*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:> > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> > > > > Terry W. Colvin> Ladphrao (Bangkok), Thailand> Pran Buri (Hua Hin), Thailand> > ------------------------------> > Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2007 15:01:47 +0700 (GMT+07:00)> From: Terry Colvin > Subject: skunk-works Fw: Jonathan's Space Report, No. 589> > - -----Forwarded Message-----> >From: Planet4589 > >Sent: Dec 22, 2007 5:32 AM> >Subject: Jonathan's Space Report, No. 589> >> >Jonathan's Space Report> >No. 589 2007 Dec 21, Somerville, MA> >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ---> >> >Shuttle and Station> >-------------------> >> >The next launch is Shuttle mission STS-122, Station flight 1E, carrying> >the European Columbus module to the Station. Launch will be no earlier> >than 2008 Jan.> >> >Peggy Whitson and Dan Tani made a spacewalk, US EVA-13, on Dec 18. The> >Quest airlock was depressurized at about 0948 UTC and repressurized at> >1646 UTC; the astronauts inspected the malfunctioning solar array> >rotation joint and beta gimbal assembly.> >> >> >Kosmos-2434> >------------> >> >A Globus communications satellite built by NPO PM for the Russian> >Defense Ministry was launched on Dec 9 on a Proton-M/Briz-M and given> >the cover name Kosmos-2434. Previous Globus satellites were given the> >Raduga-1 cover name. The Briz-M probably entered an initial 173 x 173 km> >orbit; it then reached a 273 x 4991 km x 49 deg intermediate orbit, and> >next a 400 x 35815 km x 49 deg geostationary transfer orbit. By Dec 18> >the payload was at 79.6E in a 35569 x 35956 km x 0.1 deg orbit. It's not> >clear what happened to the Briz-M jettisonable propellant tank.> >> >Cosmo 2> >--------------> >> >The second Italian military radar satellite in the Cosmo-Skymed system> >was launched on Dec 9 by a Boeing Delta 7420-10. At second stage first> >cutoff the orbit was 185 x 645 km x 97.8 deg; a second burn at 0325 UTC> >put the satellite in a 620 x 637 km orbit.> >> >Space Command is now calling the satellite Skymed 2, but the Boeing> >launch booklet referred to it as Cosmo.> >> >Radarsat 2> >----------> >> >Canada's Radarsat 2 satellite was launched on Dec 14 by a Russian> >Soyuz-FG/Fregat into a 790 x 798 km x 98 deg orbit. The Soyuz third> >stage was in a 169 x 206 km parking orbit and reentered later the> >same day; the Fregat stage was deorbited after releasing Radarsat.> >> >> >Erratum:> >--------> >In my discussion of the Delta 4 Heavy launch I inadvertently referred> >to the upper stage as a Centaur. Although it uses a similar RL-10 family> >rocket engine, the Delta 4 Second Stage is of course not a Centaur.> >> >A source reports that the orbit of the Nanosat-2 satellite launched in> >Dec 2004 on the first Delta 4 Heavy was 105 x 196 km x 27 deg.> >Nanosat-2, which consisted of two small satellites which remained> >attached to each other, is believed to have reentered less than one hour> >after launch.> >> >Yaogan 3> >--------> >> >As I reported previously, China's new radar satellite Yaogan 3 was> >launched at 2248 UTC on Nov 11. The Yaogan 3 satellite originally> >reached a 456 x 612 km x 97.9 deg orbit and separated from the third> >stage at 2309 UTC on Nov 11. Although China announced that the rocket> >had a new restart capability on the third stage, I can't tell if this> >was used. At first apogee about 2315 UTC on Nov 11, Yaogan used its own onboard> >engine to raise orbit to 613 x 623 km; on Nov 20 and 21 small adjustment> >burns trimmed the orbit to 627 x 629 km.> >> >EPOXI> >-----------> >> >The EPOXI (formerly Deep Impact) probe made a course correction on Nov 1> >to set up for a Dec 31 Earth flyby, and an encounter with comet> >103P/Hartley 2 on 2010 Oct 11, just before the comet reaches perihelion> >at 1.06AU on 2010 Oct 28.> >> >EPOXI will pass 15566 km over Australia at 1930 UTC on Dec 31. The flyby> >will change its solar orbit from 0.98 x 1.64 AU x 0.7 deg to 0.91 x 1.09> >AU x 4.2 deg.> >> >NROL-24> >-------> >> >Atlas V mission AV-015 launched a classified satellite for the US> >National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). The payload for launch NROL-24 has> >been given the cover name USA-198 and is thought to be> >an SDS (Satellite Data System) data relay satellite used to relay> >surveillance imagery and data from low altitude polar orbiting > >NRO spacecraft.> >> >The Centaur entered a low parking orbit and then a deployment orbit of> >261 x 16776 km x 60.0 deg (according to visual observations reported by> >independent sources). This compares with the 267 x 15379 km x 58.0 deg> >deployment orbit of the previous mission in the series, USA 179. The> >payload will use its own on-board propulsion to raise the orbit to> >around 1000 x 39400 km x 63 deg.> >> >Some observers speculated that the SBIRS HEO-2 infrared missile warning> >package and the TWINS-B magnetospheric research package might also be> >aboard, although I believe that next year's NROL-28 mission is a more> >likely fit for these and for the third Interim Polar Adjunct> >communications package.> >> >The first generation SDS satellites were launched by Titan 34B/Agena D> >rockets and deployed directly into 12-hour orbits. Here is a list of> >more recent SDS HEO (highly elliptical orbit) satellites:> >> >SDS HEO Launches> > Parking orbit Deployment orbit> >> >1989-61B USA 40 401 x 502 x 57.0 532 x 8135 x 57.0> >1992-86B USA 89 364 x 380 x 57.0 372 x 7300?x 56.9> >1996-38A USA 125 292 x 300 x 54.9 383 x 14072 x 55.4> >1998-05A USA 137 (CAPRICORN) 191 x 795 x 62.5 Unknown> >2004-34A USA 179 (NROL-1/NEMESIS) 191 x 400 x 58.4 267 x 15379 x 58.0> >2007-60A USA 198 (NROL-24/SCORPIUS) 209 x 262 x 60.0 261 x 16776 x 60.0> >> >Another constellation of NRO spacecraft uses a similar final orbit and> >are thought to be primarily signals intelligence payloads associated> >with the code-name TRUMPET. There were three such launches in 1994-1997.> >A more recent launch may be related; USA 184 also carries the TWINS-A> >and SBIRS HEO-1 payloads. NROL-28 is likely to be similar to USA-184. > >Unlike the SDS launches, these flights deploy their payloads directly> >into the 12-hour orbit.> >> >1994-26A USA 103 200 x 200?x 57 1323 x 39035 x 64.4> >1995-34A USA 112 245 x 255 x 56.1 Unknown> >1997-68A USA 136 (+IPA-1?) 185 x 185 x 55.0 1098 x 39012 x 63.6> >> >2006-27A USA 184 (NROL-22) 193 x 2215 x 62.5 1111 x 37594 x 62.4> > (+TWINS-A/SBIRS-HEO-1/IPA-2?)> >2008? USA ? (NROL-28 + TWINS-B/SBIRS-HEO-2/IPA-3?)> >> >> >GPS 57> >------> >> >The Navstar Global Positioning System GPS space vehicle 57, the 18th> >GPS IIR and 5th upgraded IIR-M, was launched from Cape Canaveral at 2004> >UTC on Dec 20. It reached a preliminary 174 x 203 km x 37.5 deg parking> >orbit at 2014 UTC and was delivered to elliptical transfer orbit at 2114 UTC.> >> >Ariane L530> >-----------> >> >Arianespace launched Ariane 5GS vehicle L530 (flight V180) on Dec 21.> >The EPC core stage reached a 30 x 1730 km x 7.3 deg orbit, reentering> >on the first perigee. The EPS upper stage reached geostationary> >transfer orbit and deployed two telecommunications satellites,> >RASCOM-QAF-1 and Horizons 2.> >> >RASCOM-QAF-1 is a Thales (Cannes) Spacebus 4000B3 with a hybrid Ku/C-band> >payload for RascomStarQAF of Port Louis, Mauritius, a subsidiary of the> >Regional African Satellite Communications Organization (RASCOM) based> >in Cote d'Ivoire. The mission and satellite control centers are> >in Cameroun and Libay; the satellite will provide voice, data and> >internet in Africa.> >> >Horizons 2 is an Orbital Star 2 Ku-band satellite for Horizons Satellite> >Holdings LLC, a joint venture of Intelsat and the Japanese JSAT company.> >> >> >> >Table of Recent (orbital) Launches> >----------------------------------> >Date UT Name Launch Vehicle Site Mission INTL. > > DES.> >Nov 1 0051 SAR-Lupe 3 ) Kosmos-3M Plesetsk LC132/1 Radar 53A> > AIS ) 53B> >Nov 11 0150 DSP 23 Delta 4H Canaveral SLC37B Early Warn 54A> >Nov 11 2248 Yaogan 3 Chang Zheng 4C Taiyuan Radar 55A> >Nov 14 2206 Skynet 5B ) Ariane 5ECA Kourou ELA3 Comms 56B> > Star One C1 ) 56A> >Nov 17 2239 Sirius 4 Proton-M/Briz-M Baykonur LC200/39 Comms 57A> >Dec 9 0015 Kosmos-2434 Proton-M/Briz-M Baykonur LC81/24 Comms 58A> >Dec 9 0231 Cosmo 2 Delta 7420-10 Vandenberg SLC2W Radar 59A> >Dec 10 2205 USA 198 (NROL-24) Atlas V 401 Canaveral SLC41 Comms? 60A> >Dec 14 1317 Radarsat-2 Soyuz-FG/Fregat Baykonur LC31 Radar 61A> >Dec 20 2004 GPS 57 Delta 7925 Canaveral SLC17A Nav 62A?> >Dec 21 2141 Rascom-QAF-1 ) Ariane 5GS Kourou ELA3 Comms 63A?> > Horizons 2 ) Comms 63B?> >> >.-------------------------------------------------------------------------.> >| Jonathan McDowell | phone : (617) 495-7176 |> >| Somerville MA 02143 | inter : jcm@host.planet4589.org |> >| USA | jcm@cfa.harvard.edu |> >| |> >| JSR: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html |> >| Back issues: http://www.planet4589.org/space/jsr/back |> >| Subscribe/unsub: mail majordomo@host.planet4589.org, (un)subscribe jsr | > >'-------------------------------------------------------------------------' > >> >> >> >> >> > > Terry W. Colvin> Ladphrao (Bangkok), Thailand> Pran Buri (Hua Hin), Thailand> > ------------------------------> > End of skunk-works-digest V15 #16> *********************************> > To subscribe to skunk-works-digest, send the command:> > subscribe skunk-works-digest> > in the body of a message to "majordomo@netwrx1.com".> If you want to subscribe something other than the account the mail is> coming from, such as a local redistribution list, then append that address> to the "subscribe" command; for example, to subscribe "local-skunk-works":> > subscribe skunk-works-digest local-skunk-works@your.domain.net> > To unsubscribe, send mail to the same address, with the command:> > unsubscribe skunk-works-digest> > in the body.> > Administrative requests, problems, and other non-list mail can be sent> to georgek@netwrx1.com.> > A non-digest (direct mail) version of this list is also available; to> subscribe to that instead, replace all instances of "skunk-works-digest"> in the commands above with "skunk-works".> > Back issues are available for viewing by a www interface located at:> http://www.netwrx1.com/skunk-works/> > If you have any questions or problems please contact me at:> > georgek@netwrx1.com> > Thanks,> > George R. Kasica> Listowner _________________________________________________________________ Introducing the City @ Live! Take a tour! http://getyourliveid.ca/?icid=LIVEIDENCA006 ------------------------------ End of skunk-works-digest V15 #17 ********************************* To subscribe to skunk-works-digest, send the command: subscribe skunk-works-digest in the body of a message to "majordomo@netwrx1.com". If you want to subscribe something other than the account the mail is coming from, such as a local redistribution list, then append that address to the "subscribe" command; for example, to subscribe "local-skunk-works": subscribe skunk-works-digest local-skunk-works@your.domain.net To unsubscribe, send mail to the same address, with the command: unsubscribe skunk-works-digest in the body. Administrative requests, problems, and other non-list mail can be sent to georgek@netwrx1.com. A non-digest (direct mail) version of this list is also available; to subscribe to that instead, replace all instances of "skunk-works-digest" in the commands above with "skunk-works". Back issues are available for viewing by a www interface located at: http://www.netwrx1.com/skunk-works/ If you have any questions or problems please contact me at: georgek@netwrx1.com Thanks, George R. Kasica Listowner